Monday

Did you know that it costs about $400 more dollars to rent a car one-way than it does round-trip? Or that, after all of the surcharges, city and county fees, airport charge, insurance, required GPS system, gas and a little extra to pay the guy sitting in the back room with his feet up on the desk, the final rental price is about $300 more than the quoted price?

The positive side of this is that it really causes one to pause and appreciate the luxury of motorized travel. I reflected that such a trip to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and back is not possible in six days if traveling on foot. And it does allow for side excursions. In our luxuriously rented car, Dustin and I left for Arizona on Monday. We took the long route.

We drove through the Acoma Pueblo valley.

(Image source: Dan Fuchs)

We drove through the Petrified Forest. Someone who was there before us had apparently cut it down.




We drove through Flagstaff, stopping for a brew tasting at the Beaver Street Brewery to round out our earlier wine tasting.

Then the GPS, computer-voice lady guided us from there on up to the Grand Canyon where I promptly fell asleep.